Apr 29 2010
Michael Baker Jr., Inc., an engineering unit of Michael Baker Corporation (NYSE Amex:BKR), has been named a Grand Award winner in the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) 2010 Engineering Excellence Awards.
Baker received the award for its outstanding route planning, bridge and highway engineering and permitting to support AREVA NP Inc.'s delivery of two steam generators to Three Mile Island Generating Station (TMI) at Middletown, Pa. As one of eight Grand Award winners, Baker was also a finalist for the Grand Conceptor Award for the year's best overall engineering achievement.
The project won a Diamond Honor Award in the Special Projects Category at the 2010 Annual Awards Dinner in February from the American Council of Engineering Companies of Pennsylvania (ACEC/PA) in Hershey, Pa.
Each steam generator and transporter unit - at 825 tons, 153 feet long, 18 feet wide and 24 feet high - were the largest loads ever transported on Pennsylvania and Maryland highways. The route to Three Mile Island (TMI) was characterized by its 75-mile length, hilly terrain, narrow rural roadways, many water crossings and network of low, overhead utility lines.
This fast-track project required delivery of the generators in September 2009 to support TMI's license renewal to continue operations through 2034. These were key components that will help TMI continue to provide clean, domestically produced energy to more than 800,000 homes.
Baker performed highway and bridge design, environmental investigations, permitting, utility coordination, construction management and transport support services to deliver the engineering solutions needed to safely transport these unique vessels. With nearly 150 stakeholders, AREVA and Baker's coordination included two state governments and multiple departments of their respective transportation and environmental agencies, state police departments, municipal authorities, utilities, local emergency management agencies and school districts.
"Not only was the TMI-1 EOTSG (Enhanced Once-Through Steam Generator) transport the most challenging component delivery I have witnessed in my 30 years in the nuclear business," said George Beam, senior vice president, Nuclear Services, AREVA, Inc., "it was also one of the most gratifying because of the overwhelming public support and interest from the thousands of people in eastern Pennsylvania who came out daily to witness this historic event."
"We are honored to be recognized by the ACEC with this award," said John Rorquist, Baker's project manager. "The 15-day transport was the culmination of more than a year of route planning, engineering and construction management. Unique engineering solutions were needed for the numerous issues that are a part of a super-load transportation project. In the end, no two solutions were the same. In addition, we received valuable support and cooperation from the many stakeholders. It was their support as well that contributed to our meeting project objectives."
"We are very pleased that Michael Baker Jr., Inc., has won this award," said Edoardo Ascione, president of Fagioli, Inc., which provided specialized transportation equipment and staff to move the loads. "We have relied on Baker's engineering and permitting experience to help us deliver eight steam generators to nuclear power plants in the last eight years. They worked closely with us and AREVA to put together a plan that allowed us to safely deliver these units on-schedule."
The transport received widespread public and media attention over the 15 days needed to travel the route. Spectators lined the route on a daily basis, and there were numerous television stories, more than 100 print articles and more than 28,000 hits to the AREVA project website.
Source: http://www.mbakercorp.com/